What are the elements of a great erotic story?

[AwkwardlySet]

I'm just wondering what authors on this site consider to be the most important elements of a satisfying, high quality erotic story.

Tits. Lots of them.

 

[old_prof]

1. Sex scenes that are exciting and titillating
2. Solid character development
3. Interesting and imaginative plot
4. Descriptive and evocative writing
5. Originality, the ability to put an unexpected spin on a story that makes it seem fresh and unique

I would start with a precursor of 4, basic writing skills. Enough stories here lack that and it makes the story useless, n matter what else is there.

For me, after that it's

2)
3) Although I don't think imaginative is that important. Make it compelling (depends on characters usually) and I'm happy.
1) and 4)

5) can be appreciated, but is absolutely not necessary for a good or great story. If done well, it makes a story better, but more often that not, it's not done well. And I don't feel any regret in a story that doesn't do this.

Well executed 2) and 3) make a great story in mind. If there's no worthwhile sex in it, it's a disappointment, but I can still enjoy the story terffically,.
Mediocre sex scenes with characters I care about still engages me erotically.

4) in support of the other three is great and moves a good story to great and moves a great story beyond that.

 

[YmaOHyd]

You have to know what you're trying to describe or evoke. An inexperienced or low-sexed author might be fantastic at describing people, or world building, but be a poor descriptor of sex.

Possible! But I think a sufficiently skilled writer -- and we're talking about great erotic stories, not simply good or adequate ones -- ought to be fully capable of describing things that they have never experienced. We do it all the time, in fact, whenever we write from an opposite-gender POV, or from the perspective of a different race or culture. "Interesting and evocative writing" isn't just worldbuilding or character description, after all; it's about the creation of feeling.

 

[StillStunned]

and we're talking about great erotic stories, not simply good or adequate ones

The question that this raises is what makes for a great erotic story. What sets it apart from the good and adequate? When is it a great erotic story, and when is it a great story that happens to have explicit erotic content? Is there even a difference?

(I think there is: I think that, to qualify as a great erotic story, it should be about the sex, without leaning on plot or character. If you can take out the sex and still have a story, I don't think it's erotica.)

 

[AG31]

What are some great erotic stories?

I don't read enough here, because my tastes are so narrow, but I would name The Story of O, by Pauline Reage. I can't think of any others.